From Diamond's perspective, once he determined [Firefly] was also an Emanator of Preservation like himself, the success of this 'capture the leader' operation was already guaranteed—an inevitable victory.
After all, he possessed absolute confidence in his status as the 'strongest Emanator of Preservation.'
Furthermore, this confidence didn't stem from simply being the strongest Emanator of Preservation, but from Diamond's firm belief that his dedication to Preservation, his resolve to die for Preservation, far surpassed any other being on this Path.
Emanators varied. While most people saw them as immensely powerful, unattainable beings—which was true, considering their power was essentially a portion of the inhuman might 'borrowed' from an Aeon—this power wasn't absolute.
Even a fraction of an Aeon's power, though its magnitude varied due to numerous factors, retained its fundamentally formidable nature.
But it wasn't foolproof. While an Aeon's generosity could grant immense power to their chosen Emanator, 'compatibility' remained an issue.
For example, how could a Path like 'Abundance,' embodying selflessness and altruism, unleash its full potential in the hands of someone harboring destructive intent?
Excluding whimsical creations like the 'Elation Bugs,' born purely from an Aeon's momentary fancy, and assuming the Aeon granted a consistent amount of Path power, what truly determined an Emanator's strength was the conviction within their heart.
After all, 'Paths' operated on a somewhat idealistic system.
The strength of one's belief, the conviction in the Path they walked... while these didn't affect the amount of power granted by the Aeon, they determined the 'utilization rate' of that power.
Moreover, setting aside their Emanator status, individuals favored by Aeons were often already 'Pathstriders' who had journeyed far along their respective Paths.
And Diamond happened to be one of the most 'pure' examples.
He firmly believed that as long as his opponent was an Emanator of Preservation, he could not possibly lose to them on the Path of Preservation. This conviction, in turn, strengthened the 'Preservation' power he wielded.
"Come, let me witness your will of Preservation, Empress of Glamoth," Diamond declared. "I, Diamond, Emanator of Preservation, with this resolve dedicated entirely to the Amber Lord, will surely not lose to you!"
Imaginary energy aligned with the Preservation Path rapidly spread across the metal floor of the flagship's main hall, dyeing it a crystalline, yet brilliantly dazzling, transparent hue.
Unlike Aventurine, Diamond didn't exhibit a flashy, gem-like appearance after shedding his suit. Instead, the seemingly elite southern-city gentleman couldn't conceal the radiant 'heart' within—the 'Stoneheart' of Preservation.
This wasn't the diluted power distributed through Cornerstones to others; this was the true authority of a Preservation Emanator.
That Preservation power, resonating with his 'Diamond Heart,' would surely offer victory to the Amber Lord!
"The will of Preservation? So that's how the Corporation views me... Hmm, not entirely wrong, I suppose. By normal standards, I probably could become an Emanator of 'Preservation.'"
"But unfortunately, right now, I am the Empress of Glamoth. Therefore, what I will show you... is only this..."
"...The true meaning of 'Propagation.'"
Her pale fingers clenched slightly. The silver-haired girl's blue-violet eyes held a chilling calmness as she uttered words that stunned Diamond.
...Propagation?
For a moment, he was completely baffled. What the? Where did that come from?
It wasn't Diamond's fault, really. Since the end of the Cosmic Swarm Disaster, although remnants of the Swarm and Emanators of 'Propagation' survived, this Path had become a distant, almost mythical concept for the Corporation.
Furthermore, what shocked Diamond even more was that the Empress of Glamoth before him looked nothing like the term 'Propagation Emanator'!
Just as factions across the universe believed Nihility could absolutely not have Emanators, it was commonly held that Emanators of Propagation could only be Swarm Kings.
This Empress of Glamoth, no matter how you looked at her, had absolutely no connection to a Swarm King!
Could she be a True Sting? Indeed, Corporation records mentioned the World-Pester Swarm King was skilled in deception and mimicry, but according to those same records, World-Pester had been eliminated long ago.
Besides, Diamond was confident in his own willpower; he absolutely wouldn't be deceived—or at least, not without noticing something. He looked at [Firefly] and saw no trace of disguise or illusion.
Lying? Impossible. Unless they were those Elation jokers, most Emanators wouldn't conceal their Path allegiance. It was, after all, a matter of conviction.
Diamond's mind buzzed, utterly unable to comprehend.
But it didn't matter.
While her identity was confusing, it clearly didn't halt the continuation of this battle. In fact, if she truly was an Emanator of Propagation, Diamond might even feel a bit of glee. Emanators of Propagation weren't typically known for their combat prowess.
Even with combat specialists like the Starcrusher Swarm King, the composition of the five major Swarm Kings and their need for Swarm King's Guards indicated that most Propagation Emanators were relatively weak individually.
And as the strongest Emanator of Preservation... wouldn't taking down a Propagation Emanator be easy?
However, such thoughts clearly didn't last long.
Unaware of—or perhaps simply indifferent to—Diamond's underestimation, [Firefly] faced the charging Diamond. A lightsaber, flickering with cyan flames, materialized in her pale hand.
Then, she swung it gently.
An extremely simple slash.
Diamond was wary; every Emanator had unique tricks. But no matter how he assessed it, he couldn't detect significant energy within the slash.
It truly seemed like just an ordinary 'cut.' By his standards, the power level of this sword wave probably didn't even match his simplest stone shard attack, let alone pose a threat.
Thus, Diamond smirked. Thinking you can underestimate me just because you also wield Emanator power? How naive! I am the strongest Emanator of Preservation!
The power I've shown is merely the tip of the iceberg granted to me by the Amber Lord! I held back precisely to make you careless, only to unleash my full power at the critical moment and catch you completely off guard!
"You were careless, Empress of Glamoth!"
Right now, I am stronger!
His Preservation power surged further. To save time, Diamond didn't even consider dodging. He charged straight ahead, intending to swat away this feeble attack with his Preservation-infused arm.
However...
The moment of contact... the force was indeed minimal. Feeling the power he could easily dispel, Diamond almost laughed out loud. Is that all?
But the next moment, he froze. ...I blocked it, so why hasn't the sword wave disappeared? My Preservation power should have dispersed it instantly, right?
Instinctively, Diamond increased his power output.
Nothing changed.
The tiny sword wave didn't vanish... Instead, it split. Simultaneously, a deeply unsettling premonition bloomed in Diamond's heart. But he dismissed it as mere paranoia. So what if one became two? Still just as weak... Wait, are those two sword waves slightly bigger than before?
"Vwom!"
The instant Diamond noticed, the sword waves impacting his protective layer began to split and multiply at a visible rate. Their size and intensity grew constantly. Initially pitifully thin, they soon swarmed like locusts.
"BOOM!"
A deafening roar echoed through the stars. The rampaging sword waves, like living things, continuously 'propagated' and 'developed,' evolving from weak and simple slashes into a terrifying storm.
The expansion and continuation of things, the growth and change of things—undoubtedly, this was the true essence of Propagation.
At the peak of the Swarm, during the Cosmic Swarm Disaster, this concept allowed the mere 'increase in numbers' to create countless 'insects.' Even non-organic machines could become objects of 'Propagation.'
Although during the last Aeon War, this most threatening aspect of the Propagation Path—its conceptual authority—was fractured by the gods after they smashed Tayzzyronth, as long as the Path of Propagation itself endured, some things remained immutable.
This was especially true for Jiang Qiao, whose connection to the Path rivaled Tayzzyronth's.
The incredibly simple sword wave contained the fully internalized power of the Propagation Path, revealing no 'edge' initially.
But once that internalized power erupted... the concept of one becoming two, two becoming three, three becoming the myriad things, received its most brutal physical interpretation.
In an instant, Diamond's expression shifted from confident victory to... horror and disbelief.
"This power... This power... How is this possible!"
"I... I have absolutely no way to resist!" he gritted his teeth, face contorted in shock. The power bestowed by the Amber Lord was crumbling at an astonishing rate before what started as a single, simple sword wave.
And Diamond wasn't the only one affected. The rampaging sword waves within the confined space of the main hall had undergone exponential growth in an incredibly short time. And seemingly without end.
Even Taravan, who had been holding back Pheebe, abandoned his opponent, desperately trying to resist... no, trying to survive this 'storm.'
The storm's reach quickly spread beyond the flagship. What started as finger-width slashes now spanned meters, tens of meters, hundreds of meters... Sword waves expanding seemingly without limit... The warships locked in combat couldn't escape either.
The sword waves, initially easily negated by Diamond's Preservation power, now cut through metal like a hot knife through butter. They sliced effortlessly through Imaginary shields designed to withstand 'Emanator'-level destruction, shredding the warships.
But even more terrifying was that these sword waves... somehow, not a single one struck the Glamoth Iron Cavalry or their ships, moving like a highly disciplined army.
The Corporation faced utter defeat.
And this defeat occurred in less than a single system minute.
---||---
Back at Corporation Headquarters, the directors, who had been watching the battle intently via observation equipment, filled with high hopes after Pearl's earlier report that the 'plan was proceeding smoothly,' hadn't even fully processed that joy before witnessing this catastrophe unfold.
"Th-this... How is this possible?!" Madame Scar-Eye's scarred eye widened micro-metrically as she gasped in shock.
Undoubtedly, this attack pattern didn't belong to Diamond or Taravan; the directors knew their fighting styles well. If the attack wasn't theirs, it could only belong to the enemy.
Seeing Emanators of Preservation overwhelmed so easily by these attacks, a despairing answer formed instantly in the directors' minds.
A director aligned with Madame Scar-Eye's faction trembled, forcing a smile. "It... It can't be, right? By the Amber Lord, both Diamond and Taravan received the Amber Lord's blessing as Preservation Emanators... How could they be defeated so easily? How is that possible... They are Emanators..."
"A Corporation fleet of this size possesses the power to contend with Emanators... See? I told you we shouldn't have put up futile resistance!" Zai Tian spoke hollowly, his wrinkled face trembling uncontrollably.
Though firmly in the surrender camp, even Zai Tian hadn't anticipated witnessing such a horrifying scene. "In the end, this whole mess was caused by that guy Osvaldo..."
"Yes! It was Osvaldo's fault!" someone chimed in immediately.
"Mm, everything is his fault!"
"Indeed, I believe it's necessary to appease the Glamoth Empire by punishing Osvaldo. Her Majesty the Empress is surely merciful and wouldn't be overly harsh on the Corporation. Look at the mess you all made."
Zai Tian stared dumbfounded at the director who said this. He remembered this old fellow being a staunch hawk before, almost as radical as Osvaldo himself.
"Reasonable. I believe we must quickly pass a resolution to punish Osvaldo and hand him over for atonement. I vote in favor!"
...Isn't this guy also Osvaldo's political ally? The one who supported him the most...?
These old bastards... Do they not lose social credits for flip-flopping like that?
While even Zai Tian marveled at his colleagues' rapid change of face, an old man with slightly pinkish hair, who had remained silent until now, sighed and spoke quietly:
"Indeed, it is a reasonable plan, but... have you considered one thing?"
"Our dear Director of Market Development, Mr. Osvaldo Schneider... isn't actually here?"